Delage recreation and unique Frazer Nash coming up for sale

By James Elliott

| 15 Apr 2012

Two wonderful cars are coming up for sale at the next Historics at Brooklands sale on 26 May: one a recreation in superb condition, the other the very opposite.

The first was inspired by the later incarnation of the Delage D6 70 that raced to a fourth place in the 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Originally based on the Delahaye Type 135, and with a fixed-head-coupé body, competition success prompted a lightweight version of the body by Figoni et Falaschi in 1937, which then went on to secure success at the Donington TT and elsewhere.

In 1998, renowned coachbuilder Michael Sharpe was commissioned to recreate the Delage D6 70 TT (main image), which comes with racing papers and is expected to fetch £145-160,000 when it comes up for sale at Brooklands on 26 May.

Rather less finished – even the bits that are there need complete restoration – but a wonderful prospect to rebuild a unique car from scratch, is a one-off Bertelli-bodied 320-based Frazer-Nash BMW four-door saloon that will be sold with no reserve.

The car is one of many built on BMW 319, 315, 320 and 326 chassis that represented AFN’s own take on the German cars rather than being straight imports. Chassis 90813 was imported in 1937 with the aim of producing a prototype for further production in 1938. Although marketing material was produced ahead of its launch, the model never saw the light of day.

This car was originally powered by a 1971cc six-cylinder ohv cast iron engine, capable of 45bhp at 3750rpm. Drive was through a single plate clutch to an aluminium cased 4-speed box with synchromesh on the top two gears, while braking was by hydraulic system including 11in drums and cable-operated handbrake.

While earlier Frazer-Nash BMWs used a tubular chassis, this 320 used the later box section design with Bertelli’s coachwork fabricated in aluminium with steel nose and wings.

The chassis did incorporate the rack and pinion steering of the earlier cars with a transverse front spring, built-in hydraulic shock absorbers below and conventional semi-elliptic springs to the rear.

The 320 is in 'barn find' condition and is on offer without its original engine, gearbox and steering rack (although a blank block, head and gearbox are with the car).

The rest of the car is said to be "remarkably intact" and it still has its original instruments and interior trim although these also require full restoration.

James Elliott

James Elliott is a former Editor of Classic & Sports Car